The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-29
sIlmo Labor and Wages.

Cktttcnd kdutr. #.4 at.t' lfreF4 W..
There have recently appeared in the
press dispatches rumois In regard 10 the
winter price for digging bituminouD coal
In Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois. Interested par.[ea arc aware
that for the past year and half there
have been many joint conferences be-
tween owners and mine laboreIs repro.
sentlug the coal producing regions OF the
State named, and the result has been to
partially allay friction and dis!rust, and,
IL Ia hoped, has also broadgnsd the foun-
dation Of confidence and good will be-
tween employers and workmen, 10 1t Ger.
taiuly has been tho means OF preventing
idlenees and consequent loBs to oil. 5.'
Tho Inst action takon by State reprc1sn.
ts!iyes OF both miners and inino owners
WAS at a joint convention held at Indiana.
polin June 81, 1857, and the subject con.
Bldcrcd Was the question OF MI advance Of
five cents per ton in the price Of mining,
to take effect November /, 1887. This con.
ference was attended by delegated miners
from the four Staten. and by operators
from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana,
md thut meeting unanimously agreed
upon the following, which was ratified
and confirmed by the Interetnta Board OF
ConciliatoTy Arbitration, which met at
the same time and place:
Rsso'rtd, In view Of tho fac! shst the
conditions upon which IN aIvance wcg
authorized by the Columhue convention
have not been complied With. VIC regard
tho bare scale Of 1887 devoid OF any cd.
vance, CO in force and binding upon both
operators and miners; but in recognition
Of tho efforts made by the miners 10 secure
the advance, by bringing al dlstIic:a up
to the scale, and as further evidence OF
our bslief OF tho fundamental principle OF
ou, organization, arbitration and concii-
ia!ion," we gro willing 10 declare au ad-
vance OF 5 cents Gbuve tho bsss scsle sa
fixed at Columbus convention OF February
10, 1887, for ak months, viz, from May l,
1887, to November l, 1887; but, il Oh
November /. 1887, tho mining districts oil
Illinoi1 are not paying the Columbus Ecale
Of prices for 1887, then the further sd.
vanco OF 8 cents shall not b. cssnted; bu.
the price from November |, 1887, to May
|, 1887, ahall remain the sams las from
May !, 1887, to November l, 1887.
| he,Iutsr.State Boartlis to meet again on
or before the l5!h OF November, 1887, to
decide tho question Of AZ advance OF 1--we
cents per ton in accordance With the ato.a.
aaid action taken ct Indianapolis las;
June. .GE
The resolution quoted seen.s plain, ard
no doubt good faith demands thu. ell
await report from the next mco!iDg oil
the Interstate Board, at which meeting
all the parties can report, so that with foil
information said board can act with intel.
ligeucs and present the facts to both oper.
ators and miners, as the basis for any de-
ciaion it may render.
Many gentlemen Of good judgment re.
gard this as crucial test for employers
and employees in the bituuainop5 coal in.
dustry Of the territory embraced in the
movement. Fs7 n
Neither the one nor the other can ex.
pect SUCCESS from joint conventions and
Cancellation with arbitration, unlee, pre-.
pared to set in absolute good faith, and
evan then much time will b. required 10
create that mutual confidence and pa.
tience essential to insuro continuous har.
mony. q gf4Al .Ial. -H4s.s. rr-H